Man recalls daytime encounter as a teen in San Jacinto River bottom.

Report#

01060014

Occurred July 1981

(Submitted June 18, 2006)

Witness Observation

After a lot of debate, I decided to share this with you. I am currently 39, my encounter happened when I was 15. It was during the summer of 1981. Like usual I was out in the woods near Old Houston Road, with friends running around tracking, fishing and just in general being a guy. It didn't take long to get separated from everyone. That happened a lot. We all would meet back at one camp or another later. I had been tracking hog and followed the trail into a stand of yaupons and shrubs that topped out about six feet or so. Once inside I found a small clearing with grapevine and a couple of trees with low hanging limbs. I sat down enjoying the place thinking it would make a great camp spot, when off to my left, south, I heard something moving. Looking over I froze, on the other side of the bushes looking over the top was a head and shoulders. I remember long shaggy hair, a dark face and small eyes. I don't remember much else because at that point it began shaking the bushes and shoving its way through. I did what any sensible teenager does, I ran, tearing my clothes on limbs as I dove a through a low game trail. I didn't stop running till I was out of the woods and headed for my house. The sighting took place maybe two miles from the San Jacinto River, in an area that backed up on a subdivision, but at the time there were three houses down Old Houston Road. I can say from experience, that one can travel from the river to 1314 with out being seen. In those days there wasn't much along the river till you got close to either I-45 or Hwy 59. I don't remember any smell, and by the time I worked up the nerve to enter that part of the woods again, there were no signs of tracks. But it did appear as if something had forced its way through the brush. There were lots of broken limbs. I told only one of my friends at the time, and he helped my search for tracks but we never found any.

Physical Evidence

It appeared as if something had forced its way through the brush leaving lots of broken limbs.

Sounds

A whooping noise, just like in the 1974 recordings.

Additional Observations

Just long shaggy hair and a dark face. No odor. It wasn't close enough.

Time and Conditions

Late afternoon - Wooded, you have to pass through a series of low lying swampland, the enclosed clearing was on one of the raised areas surrounded by pines, fallen trees, and plenty of brush and switchbacks.

Investigator's Comments

Walter Blake

This interview was conducted as a result of a reported sasquatch encounter that allegedly occurred near Porter, in Montgomery County, Texas, July, 1981.

I interviewed the witness on 19 June 2006.

When the witness and I first began discussing his report, he seemed somewhat reticent, but as I related my personal knowledge of and experiences in the San Jacinto River bottoms in southern Montgomery County, he seemed to become much more comfortable and allowed the events to flow from his memory. This alleged encounter took place over 24 years ago about 1.5 miles east of the West Fork San Jacinto near Porter, Texas.

The witness stated that he was 15 years old at the time and was out with some friends in the woods near the subdivision where he lived. He remembered that they had been tracking some hogs when he got separated from the main bunch of guys.

The witness recalled seeing a "creature" as it appeared to loom over some tall vegetation. All that the witness observed was the subject's large head and face as it waded through the brush toward him. Although not initially included in his report, the witness added that the subject made a grunting noise as if from physical exertion as it pushed its way through the brush toward his location. The witness did not observe the figure for long; he left, post haste, and headed home.

The witness seemed credible and seemed to excruciate over memories of the details almost as if he'd really rather forget -- most especially the eyes.

The following portion of my report resulted from NAWAC Field Biologist Alton Higgins' interest in the witness's further description of the specifics of the facial features. The witness seemed to recall the specifics, with obvious discomfort, as he remembered them from 24 years ago:

The facial skin was "slightly wrinkled" and "dark brown in color." The lower jaw line protruded slightly and the brow was heavy. He used the term "Neanderthal-like." The witness remembered that the eyes were closely set and "beady," looking somewhat small for the size of the head which he presumes was caused by the "shagginess" of the reddish-brown hair. The ears were not seen through the thick hair. The nose was broad and flat, centered in the rather broad face -- again most likely a visual effect caused by the shaggy hair. The eyes were yellow/brown in color with little or no white showing. The hair was mostly brown but had a reddish sheen in the sunlight -- like only on the tips.

Interestingly, the witness confided in me that although he had nightmares for several years after the encounter that he refused to let it keep him out of the woods, and that still to this day he hunts and fishes quite a lot. The witness also stated that he might like to see what he believes was a bigfoot again just to confirm, in his own mind, that for sure what he remembers seeing some 24 years ago was real and not someone playing a trick on him.

The witness emphatically dismissed the idea of a hoax saying that there is just no way someone could have pulled a trick on them for nobody else knew where they were located, plus it would have had to have been an extremely tall person.

An investigator determines that a visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot by a very reliable observer is a distinct possibility, tangible corroborating evidence is documented, and all other sources can be reasonably ruled out.

Investigator determines that a visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot is a distinct possibility, the observer is exceptionally trustworthy, professionally trained, and experienced in the outdoors and/or is accustomed to looking for and recording details (e.g., biologist, anthropologist/archaeologist, ranger, trapper/tracker/seasoned hunter, bird watcher, game warden, naturalist, law enforcement), and other explanations can be reasonably excluded.

Unidentifiable vocalizations were reported and there is accompanying tangible evidence to possibly indicate the presence of a sasquatch/bigfoot, the observer is very reliable, and other sources can be reasonably ruled out.

No visual encounter occurred, but physical evidence was found to indicate the presence of a sasquatch/bigfoot (tracks, hair, scat, etc.), the observer is very reliable, and other sources can be reasonably ruled out.